Professional Processing for Chickens and Turkeys

Processing Information for Producers

For more information or to schedule processing, please contact Bruce Hennessey, Owner/Operator, Maple Wind Farm, at maplewind0@gmail.com or 802 -233-3861.

Our Services:Maple Wind Farm will offer seasonal USDA-inspected processing services for chickens and turkeys in 2019. At this time we only process whole meat-breed chickens and turkeys; we do not process old laying hens, ducks, geese, or game birds.

Scheduling:Our 2019 chicken processing season will run from late May to mid-November. We can take batches as small as 25 birds or as many as 500 in a day. We schedule smaller batches together to insure that we are processing at least 400 birds per day. We have limited availability for outside processing so we strongly recommend you contact us before ordering your chicks to confirm processing availability. Very small producers (bringing 50 or less birds) may be added to our Monday slaughter schedule. Thursdays will be our designated day for larger outside processing.

Logistics:Farmers utilizing our processing services must drop off their birds at the Andrews Barn in Richmond between 7 - 7:30 am the day of processing (1148 East Main St). Those who are late will incur a $75/hour late fee (this covers our labor costs while we wait for you!). This is in addition to any inspector overtime fees which are incurred due to tardiness. Feed needs to be withheld 18 hours prior to slaughter (water is okay); this will make our day more pleasant and result in a cleaner and safer product for you and your customers. All chickens must be in clean stackable poultry crates (available for rent at $3.00/per crate). If you use your own crates they must be clean; the inspector can reject the birds if the crates are not clean. Please put only 7 birds in each crate, this puts less strain on the handlers.

We will do all processing, packaging and labeling (vacuum-sealed). We save necks, hearts, and livers and can package them along with the whole bird or separately.

Air Chilling: Birds will be chilled using our air chilling system. This requires up to 16 hours of chill time so chicken will be available for pick up at the end of the following business day (Fridays for a Thursday slaughter day). You can expect less retained water and a more flavorful product!We will also need to know if you’ve administered any antibiotics to your flockand if so, that the proper withdrawal period has been followed. This will require a signature during drop off.Labels:We provide a basic label that includes your farm name and contact information along with the necessary regulatory language, packed-on date, and weight. We are a certified organic slaughterhouse and can label your birds as organic if we know in advance. This requires a certificate from your certifying agency and a signed affidavit to be on file prior to processing. You may supply an additional label with a product claim (Pasture-Raised, Certified Organic) but these labels must be approved by the USDA prior to slaughter.

PLEASE NOTE: All claims must be approved by USDA and this process can take up to 6 weeks. Contact us as soon as possible if you have any questions about labels. Please don’t print any labels without prior approval from us.

2019 Pricing (subject to change):For chickens, the processing charge is $6.50/bird for 25-49 birds and $6.00/bird for more than 50 birds at a time. There is an additional charge of $1/each for colored meat birds and $1/each for birds over 7 pounds. There is an additional charge of $2.50/box for each box used in packaging (each box holds 6-9 birds).

Parting: We are offering limited parting services for farmers this season. For larger producers we may be able to part up to half your birds into the standard selections: boneless/skinless breast, tenders, legs, wings, and backs. For smaller producers we may be able to part all of your birds. The cost is an additional $3.50/bird. Please inquire with Bruce for details.

Turkeys:We will offer turkey processing only during the first 2 weeks of November (not the week before or week of Thanksgiving). We have a minimum of 10 turkeys and the price is $1/pound with a $12 minimum. Please contact us with any questions about turkey processing.

Important Notes about Avian InfluenzaPlease Read!All poultry owners, regardless of size and business structure, should familiarize themselves with signs of illness and call the State Veterinarian’s Office if they see:Nasal dischargeDifficulty breathingLethargyDiscolored wattles or combsSudden deathIf you notice any of these symptoms in your flock prior to your slaughter date we ask that you DO NOT bring your birds to Maple Wind Farm. Please report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture at (802)-828-2421 or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Transporting any birds with these symptoms would be devastating to our own operation and the many producers that come into contact with our facility. Your flock will be checked upon arrival by both the poultry manager and USDA inspector. If there are any signs of illness related to Avian Influenza your birds will be rejected. Maple Wind Farm will be focused on maintaining biosecurity and taking any necessary precautions to avoid contracting or spreading this devastating disease and it is our hope that you do too.